14 DAY TRIAL // BioWare has been offering fans of the upcoming Dragon Age: Inquisition detailed looks at some of the characters that they will be able to use for their party in the role-playing title, but the company has so far been less than willing to say which of them can be romantically linked to the protagonist.
Cameron Lee, a producer working on the title, says that his team is aiming to hold that kind of info back in order to allow gamers to be surprised when they first play the coming experience.
He also says that BioWare is aiming to deliver a nuanced take on what love is and how it can exist in a world that is threatened with full destruction.
The developer tells Rock, Paper, Shotgun that “it’s not like Origins where you keep giving gifts to get their approval rating up and then you can snog ‘em. It’s more about how have you interacted with this character, how have you achieved your goals, and in what way does that affect your relationship with this particular character? So it’s far more nuanced.”
BioWare was criticized for the way it had portrayed romance in the first title in the series, but the company expanded and refined its approach for the sequels and the Mass Effect series.
The interactions between Liara and the player in the third title in that franchise were considered by many fans to be the best that the studio achieved in this category.
Cameron Lee adds, “It’ll feel a lot more like that, more involved. But it also depends on who you pick. Each of the different characters will have different preferences in terms of how they behave. They’re different characters, right?”
Dragon Age: Inquisition will also introduce a range of new interactions between members of the party, and based on how they evolve as the story progresses various characters can become friends or bitter enemies.
So far, the most divisive of the cast is Cole, a demon who is not trusted by most of those he meets but wants to redeem himself by protecting the weak.
Other confirmed party members include: Vivienne, Sera, The Iron Bull, Blackwall, Cassandra and Varric, each with its unique set of combat powers and battlefield roles.
Dragon Age: Inquisition will be offered on October 7 of this year on the PC, the Xbox One from Microsoft, and the PlayStation 4 from Sony.